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He let out a soft snort.
“Be grateful. You should really be thanking your lucky stars. Otherwise, with the way you’ve been living these past few years, that face of yours would’ve fallen apart ages ago.”
Shen Wang asked quietly, “Is it really that bad?”
“Bad?” Meihe glanced at him. “Xue Yansheng doesn’t even touch starch or sugar. Not a single bite. All just to keep his figure. And he’s only twenty-two.”
“…Then I’ll just eat less too,” Shen Wang said.
“You don’t need to.” Meihe sat on the edge of his bed, eyeing him up and down. “What, you even have enough meat on you to cut back?”
Then, with a faint scoff, she added, “Finally thinking about taking care of yourself?”
“Mm. I’m four years older than him anyway.”
“I’ve told you this a hundred times and you never listened. Now you suddenly care about discipline—finally acting like you’ve got some professional responsibility.” Meihe’s tone turned sharper. “Your fans are screaming on Weibo every day for a new album, for updates, and your account’s practically grown weeds.”
Shen Wang just smiled without answering.
Then Meihe asked quietly, “What if you can’t catch up to him?”
Holding his phone, Shen Wang answered lightly, as if it didn’t matter. “What if I do?”
“I’m not trying to crush your confidence. I’m just saying… setting aside whether he’ll forgive everything you did before—there’s also the fact that I heard he already has someone.”
“I know. He told me yesterday.”
“…And you still—?”
Shen Wang covered his face.
“I don’t have a way back,” he said softly.
Chapter Nine
April. Spring was at its most intense.
But Shen Wang’s allergies were getting worse. Red rashes spread across his skin, and every itch he scratched only broke it open—turning into a raw, stinging pain.
Even though he was allergic to pollen and dust… he loved spring the most.
He counted the days, finally arriving at mid-April.
Everything was already prepared. The only thing missing was the right wind—but that was always the hardest thing to wait for.
He got up early, washed up, and picked out his clothes in the wardrobe. Then he sat on the sofa, nerves tightening in his chest, and ended up eating an entire tub of ice cream without thinking.
He checked the mirror again and again.
He’d just been to a beauty salon the day before. The staff there said his skin was smooth—so he should be in decent condition now.
Carefully, he picked up his phone and dialed a familiar number.
Three rings passed before someone picked up.
“Hello?”
That voice was hoarse, low, the tail end still carrying the weight of sleep—clearly just woken up.
“It’s me,” Shen Wang said carefully. “Are you still in bed? Did I wake you?”
A brief pause.
“…What is it?” came the answer.
“I wanted to treat you to a meal,” Shen Wang said quickly when he didn’t hear anything else. “I just… thought of it suddenly. I wanted to thank you for taking me to the hospital last time, and—and today is your birthday too. I don’t have anything going on, so—”
“Not necessary.”
The voice cut in flatly.
“I said before—it was nothing. Just a small thing. Between us… I don’t think there’s any need to keep in touch.”
“Wait—wait.”
Shen Wang’s voice rushed out.
“Don’t hang up, okay?”
There was no response. But the call didn’t end either.
He rubbed nervously at the seam of his pants.
“…The cufflink on your suit last time. I pulled it off,” he said softly. “I want to return it. Can we meet?”
“That kind of thing doesn’t matter. Throw it away.”
“I want to give it back in person,” Shen Wang said, even softer now. “If you don’t agree… then I’ll have to come find you at Huangtu.”
A small, clumsy threat—softened immediately, like he was afraid of upsetting him.
“Just this once. Can we meet?”
He didn’t even dare breathe too loudly after saying it.
“…What time?”
“Six… six o’clock. At the old place, okay?”
“Mm.”
The call ended.
Only then did Shen Wang feel his heartbeat return.
He covered his flushed face.
He actually agreed.
He had never noticed time could move this slowly.
He wished he could jump straight to six o’clock. He couldn’t wait to see Gu Chong. He liked his voice right after waking up—and even more, he liked the way he said “the old place” without hesitation.
He didn’t even ask where it was.
He just agreed.
That unspoken understanding between them made his heart swell with secret joy.
He pressed a hand to his chest, where it was beating wildly.
So… he really liked Gu Chong that much.
He should have realized it long ago.
At five o’clock, Shen Wang left.
The “old place” was an Italian restaurant called Da Ivo. Their tastes had always been different, but that place was one of the rare choices they both agreed on. Because of that, they often went there.
It was very close to Chunlan Garden—only a ten-minute drive.
The moment he walked in, the owner greeted him warmly. Shen Wang booked a private room on the second floor—a two-person space by the window, with a full glass view overlooking the dazzling city lights of Sanlitun.
He checked his reflection again.
A black turtleneck, cropped trousers, polished leather shoes. His slightly long hair was tied into a small knot at the back.
He’d deliberately dressed more maturely and composedly. It wasn’t his usual style, but it shouldn’t be wrong.
Shen Wang had naturally fair skin. The black sweater made his face look even more refined. He wasn’t tall, but his proportions were good.
Still, he was trembling.
Even his fingertips felt faintly numb.
He fidgeted with his fingers, silently planning what he should say when Gu Chong arrived.
At five minutes to six, Gu Chong finally appeared.
Still in a suit and shirt. Still strikingly handsome. Only a faint trace of exhaustion lingered between his brows.
As soon as he sat down, Shen Wang spoke first.
“I already ordered. Same as before. Do you want to add anything?”
“No need.”
His voice was rough, worn.
Then he fell silent again.
The room grew quiet.
Shen Wang rubbed the seam of his pants again. “You’re working even on your birthday?”
Gu Chong lifted his eyes at him, as if to say—what do you think?
Only then did Shen Wang realize how stupid the question was.
Gu Chong had just officially taken over Huangtu. Everyone was watching his performance—how could he possibly take a day off?
Trying to fix it, Shen Wang quickly added, “I—I got you a birthday gift. I just picked it up on the way.”
He took out a small paper box.
“It’s a custom cufflink from Tateossian. I remember you’ve always liked this brand. I saw it while passing by, so I bought it.”
